Green belt approval paves way for Spurs to press on building women’s training centre
Scheme will deliver 11-pitch complex and new training centre in adapted former golf clubhouse
A change of use application for part of the green belt at a park in north London has been approved paving the way for Tottenham Hotspur to build a training centre for its women’s team.
The approval, issued by City Hall, follows the planning permission granted by Enfield council in February this year.
More than 290 objections were lodged about the plans for Whitewebbs Park in Enfield, with concerns centred on the loss of grassland, mature trees and access to open space.
City Hall confirmed that “while the proposal represents inappropriate development on the green belt, very special circumstances have been demonstrated and a package of public benefits secured which outweigh the harm”. This ruling means Enfield council’s original decision can now proceed without alteration.
The 16ha development site was formerly part of a municipal golf course and lies adjacent to Spurs’ existing men’s training facility. The scheme is intended to support the expansion of the women’s and girls’ football programme and provide a dedicated base for both academy and first-team operations.
Designed by F3 Architects, which is also behind plans for a cluster of towers around Spurs’ north London stadium, the centre will include changing rooms, classrooms, offices and medical facilities. A new gatehouse and grounds maintenance building are also proposed.
The training campus will accommodate seven full-size grass pitches, two half-size pitches and one artificial surface pitch. One grass pitch and the artificial pitch will be floodlit.
The wider application development includes the refurbishment of the southern clubhouse to provide a public café, WCs and flexible community space, the restoration of Whitewebbs Pond, and a significant landscape scheme including over 2,000 new trees and formalised pathways.
